The Fort McCoy Army Community Service (ACS) Relocation
Readiness program provides sponsorship training to the installation
community on a quarterly basis as well as upon unit or directorate
request.

The Total Army Sponsorship Program assists Soldiers, civilian employees
and Family members in successfully relocating into and out of their
commands. Ann Wermer, Fort McCoy Relocation Readiness program manager,
said the program helps improve unit and organization cohesion and
readiness by meeting the needs of Soldiers, civilian employees, and
their Families. Properly performed, sponsorship can have a positive
impact on morale and, ultimately, retention.

The sponsorship program also provides assistance to Families
geographically separated from their deployed sponsors through rear
detachment sponsorship. Kevin Herman, ACS Deployment Readiness program
manager, conducts quarterly rear detachment commander and family
readiness group (FRG) training.

In addition to the commander’s implementation and continued assessment
of the program, its success also is determined by the individual
sponsors who are appointed. Commanders must ensure that a trained
sponsorship pool exists to respond to both programmed and unprogrammed
arrivals.

Topics covered during the training sessions include regulations and
forms, program entitlements, types of sponsorship, and sponsor and
command responsibilities.

The Department of Defense recently introduced eSponsorship Application &
Training (eSAT) to address the concerns and issues with the current
sponsorship process. The eSAT is a joint effort by the Office of the
Secretary of Defense for Military Community and Family Policy and the
military services. In addition to meeting the requirement for the
Relocation Readiness program to train unit sponsors, eSAT provides
sponsors and newcomers with an online resource for sponsorship training,
assessments, communications, access to trusted relocation information
and resources, and a feedback link for improvement.

Wermer said new eSAT information will be incorporated into quarterly
training.

Sponsorship training is scheduled from 10:30-11:30 a.m. Tuesdays Aug. 10
and Nov. 9 at ACS, 2111 South 8th Ave. Register no later than one week
in advance by calling 608-388-3505. The next Rear Detachment Commander
and FRG training is scheduled from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. July 19-20 at ACS.